Read a poem by Jim Danahey (College ’67)

My Brother, My Friend
By Jim Danahey (College ’67)
Written for the 2007 reunion of Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity

We were just teenagers thrown together by brains and choice,
The brains were native born,
The choice, the election of the University of Virginia, was providence.
And what a school it was, and how it threw us into higher life
With expectations and experiences beyond our wildest dreams.

The freedom was expansive, more than we could ever guess
With just a few guidelines and no parents.
Then there was rush.
We who chose were forced to judge ourselves and our fellows
In the most basic of ways and pick our mates for school forever.

Together we stood then; together we stand today
Joined by bonds of friendships made so strong so long ago
In a crucible of beauty at the dream of a founding father.
We lived so much together making so many mistakes
And in spite of ourselves growing up in great friendship.

And what is friendship but a genuine care for another,
A desire to do for someone, a desire to be with someone,
A desire to see someone succeed.
And friendship includes those with whom we share our daily lives now
And who know to the core what UVA and Phi Sig still mean to us.

My brother brings a sense of playfulness lasting a lifetime,
A sense of honor inexplicable,
A sense of commitment shared daily in school,
The commitment reflective of who we have become
And what we’ve done and where we’ve been.

And my brother is my brother.
And my brother remains young forever in the warm places
In my heart where good things live always and the same,
Basking in the sweet memories of our youth
Locked in a time so timeless.